What was the very first cloth diaper that you ever purchased? For me it was a bumGenius 3.0 back in 2008 while I was pregnant with Lil’ B. It wasn’t long after my first purchase that I decided to add the bumGenius 3.0 to my baby registry and ask all my friends to help me build my stash. Why is it that lots of parents begin their cloth diapering journey with bumGenius brand diapers?

Brand Recognition. If you ask anyone who has used cloth diapers in the last 5 years bumGenius is a leader in the industry and their name is known even by those parents who don’t use cloth diapers. When I was deciding on which brand to choose for my own baby I decided to purchase bumGeinus because their name was everywhere I looked. It was on chat rooms, forums, in all of the retail stores,blogs and even on Amazon.com.

Soft Colors. For us we didn’t know the sex of our baby this time around. I liked the bumGeinus diapers because of the gender neutral and soft color palette. Our original stash of cloth diapers consisted of 5 white, 5 yellow, and 5 grasshopper green bumGenius 3.0. Little did I know at the time that I would fall in love with vivid colors and prints which bumGenius also offers.

Velcro. Since disposable diapers all have Velcro-like closures it was any easy decision to choose a diaper with a Velcro or Aplix closure like the bumGenius 3.0. I had heard complaints that the Velcro would wear out over time but the ease of use and ability to replace the Velcro made deciding to use cloth diapers a little easier. Velcro is also easy for daddies and other caregivers who may not be excited about using cloth diapers. It took me over a year to realize that I actually prefer snaps over Velcro.

Sustained Quality. I still have several of our original bumGenius 3.0’s and I have never had one delaminate (where the water-proof layer pulls apart from the diaper itself) or tear apart in any way. These diapers have sustained the test of time and with a little TLC could easily be reused for a second child. The elastic is still in very good condition but the Velcro of course could use some replacing. The improvements in the bumGenius 4.0 actually include a better Velcro that lasts longer than the 3.0. I’ve actually passed along most of our original 3.0’s off to friends who were trying to decide if cloth diapering is right for their family. With a 1 year warranty you feel confident that the brand stands behind the quality of their diapers.

Price. At a selling price of $16.95 bumGenius continues to be one of the best bargains on the market today. I’m hesitant to try some of the lower priced diapers due to the quality and warranties. In the early days it was hard enough to convince my husband that cloth diapering could save us money so the other brands on the market just didn’t seem worth the extra money. You can get an entire stash (12-24 diapers) of bumGenius 4.0 for $200-400 and if you happen to catch one of their Buy 5, Get 1 free specials you can save even more.

Why do I consider them a gateway drug to cloth diaper addiction? Easy – because everything I once loved about my original stash of bumGenius 3.0 diapers is completely opposite of what I love now after 2 1/2 years of using cloth diapers on my daughter. After 2 1/2 years I am still adding new styles and prints to our stash. I still want the next ‘hot’ item on the market (like the new eco-posh collection by Rumparooz). This is why I now have over 50-60 diapers in our stash and why there are extreme cloth diapering addicts who have over 100!

Variety. There are over 100 brands of cloth diapers on the market today and that’s not even counting all of the mom’s who are making their own cloth diapers and selling them on Etsy, Ebay, and in their own small stores. I have over 30 brands of cloth diapers today and if you ask me what my favorite brand is it’s very hard to decide. I love my Rumparooz (madly love them), FuzziBunz, GroVia, BabyKicks, Oh Katy, Charlie Banana….oh I could go on all of the diapers I truly love. There really is a diaper available to suit each families unique style and personality.

Vivid, Wild Colors and Prints. There seriously is no end in sight to the different colors, prints, and fabrics used on cloth diapers. There is a diaper color and print to coordinate with all of your child’s outfits and for special occasions.

Snaps, snaps, and more snaps! Did I tell you how much I love snaps? There are no more cloth diaper chains in the drier, my tot can’t take them off, and they look so sleek. Yes, sometimes even I still wrestle with my squirmy toddler to get all of the snaps attached but it doesn’t change the fact that I prefer snaps.

Sustained Quality. This is the only reason that I can honestly say hasn’t changed. If anything bumGenius continues to improve their quality but then again so do many of the other brands of diapers.

Price. If you are looking for diapers purely for the economic savings there are other options. Flats & pre-folds rule the low-cost cloth diaper world. Even bumGenius has realized this with their Flip and Econobum lines. However, if you are looking to save money don’t expect to find the same variety of styles, colors, fabrics, and prints. If you are looking for sales and coupons on cloth diapers Kelly’s Closet always has a new offer or special for you to help save you money.

What was the first cloth diaper that you ever purchased? Why did you decide to buy that specific brand? Do you feel the same today as you did in the beginning?

Comments

Mine was Rumparooz! I saw an ad in a pregnancy magazine and they just looked so cute and easy to use! I’ve actually just started falling for Charlie Banana though! they’re so trim! (And the black diaper is too cool)

So true for me! We started out with 13 BG 3.0s, and the rest was history I have a stash of BG 4.0s, fuzzibunz, and various other brands now for my 2nd baby, so I just sold our 3.0s to a friend who’s trying out cloth diapering part time. She replaced the velcro tabs, and they are good to go. I’m so happy they’re getting a second chance at covering a bum that way.

Flips. They were inexpensive, and I like the snaps. I really want to try something else though, I haven’t tried anything else and I’ve been thinking about trying some others out lately.Becky @ Our Peaceful Home recently posted..An Introduction to Real Food

My first CD purchase was a Blueberry pocket diaper. I was several months pregnant and not even sure if I was going to cloth diaper yet or not. I chose it because it had good reviews on Amazon (where I do a lot of shopping), and the giraffe print was super cute. It’s a good diaper and very soft, but a little bulky on my son. My favorite pocket diaper right now is by Just Simply Baby and about half the price of the Blueberry pocket. I also have diapers from GroVia, Alva, BumGenius, Rumparooz, Thirsties, Happy Heinys, Bummis, MotherEase, Mama’s Simple Solutions, and Flip covers. I’m sure I have more I’m just not remembering at the moment. I just can’t stop adding to the stash!Elisebet F recently posted..Why Should You Use Handmade All-Natural Soap?

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About the Eco Chic

Hey y'all! I'm Calley and I'm glad you found The Eco Chic blog. I'm a Tampa mom and green living blogger. I love to write about my family, local events and happenings, DIY projects, traveling and so much more! I'm also a cloth diaper educator and social media manager. Pass the coffee please.read more...

Hey y'all! I'm Calley and I'm glad you found The Eco Chic blog. I'm a Tampa mom and green living blogger. I love to write about my family, local events and happenings, DIY projects, traveling and so much more! I'm also a cloth diaper educator and social media manager. Pass the coffee please.